Is the Quran enough for us?
Neglect of Holy Quran by Muslims
by Hafiz M. Abdullah, Law Student, QMW College, London
The Light & Islamic Review (US), May/June 1993 Issue (Vol. 70, No. 3, pp. 12–14)
Note: The scholarly, young author of the paper below, which has also appeared elsewhere, has submitted it for publication in ‘The Light’.
Al-Quran is the last revelation of Allah which has been sent for the “guidance of mankind” (2:185) and as a “criterion” (furqan) to judge between truth and falsehood (25:1). Allah has systematically arranged it (25:32) and has undertaken the duty to protect it for eternity (15:9). It is called the “mother of all books” (43:14; 13:39), wherein there is “no doubt” (2:2) and falsehood cannot enter it (41:42). The Quran is the “healing” (10:57) for all the physical and spiritual ailments of mankind and a “mercy” (17:82) for them from their Lord. It is fully explained (6:114), its verses are clear (43:4) and it is easy to remember (54:17, 22).
Prophet Muhammad, may peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him, the recipient of the Message, is ordered by Allah to “hold fast to that which has been revealed to you” (43:43) and not to disobey a word of that revealed (6:15; 10:15). The Prophet’s duty is to convey the message (5:67) and to “explain to the people what has been sent down for them so that they may reflect upon it” (16:44). Such was the mission of the Holy Prophet, and in his twenty-three years of prophethood he accomplished his duty and demonstrated to us the Quranic life in practice. That was why when Aisha was once asked about the Prophet’s character, she replied:
“His character was the Quran.” (Muslim, Abu Dawud, Musnad Ahmad)
In his very last sermon, the Holy Prophet is on record to have said:
“I am leaving you the Quran, which if you uphold you will never go astray.” (Muslim, Abu Dawud, Ibn Maja)
Such is the legacy that the Prophet left for the whole Ummah [Muslim nation].
Muslims exalted by following Quran:
It was through the message of the Quran that the Muslim Ummah described as the “best of nations” (3:110) was brought about once upon a time from the darkness of ignorance to the light of truth (2:257) and gave them recognition to the world as the torch-bearers of truth, peace and justice. Allah has promised in the Quran that it is a duty on Him to “help the believers” (30:47) and that He will “never let the unbelievers prevail over the believers” (30:47). These are not just bare promises because “surely Allah never breaks His promises” (3:9; 13:31). History has clearly demonstrated to us that as long as the Muslims abided by the Quran they became successful and the promises of Allah were fulfilled. It was the early believers who, though less competent in number and resources, managed to dominate over the Persian and Byzantine Empires — the then superpowers of the world. Such was the result of clinging to the Quran. The Holy Prophet said:
“Surely Allah elevates many people by virtue of this Book [Quran] and he also causes the downfall of others by virtue of the same.” (Sahih Muslim)
Decline Sets in as Quran is abandoned:
But on the other hand when Muslims began to drift away from the guidance of the Quran and substitute it with something else, they divided themselves into sects and eventually they became humiliated, oppressed and dominated by their enemies (6:65). This trend continues until today and in addition to the above, the Muslims are the most frequent victims of civil wars and natural disasters. Why is Allah allowing all these things to happen to the “chosen people” who claim to be the only nation on earth following the true religion? Why isn’t He fulfilling His promises to rescue the “believers” from their enemies (30:47; 4:141; 48:22–23) and to give them the khilafa on earth (24:55)? The answer is obvious from the above quoted hadith and due to the fact that Allah promises victory to the “believers” and not to the so-called Muslims who are rightfully called Muzlims (people in darkness).
Muslims follow in Footsteps of Israelites:
Sadly enough, the Muslim Ummah in its rise and decline very closely resembles the “Children of Israel” who were once chosen and favoured by Allah above all nations (2:47, 122), but eventually they invoked the wrath of Allah and He chastised them (3:12) and set loose their enemies against them (17:5). The Israelites too abandoned the “Book of Allah” and threw it “behind their backs” (3:187; 2:101) or they accepted one part of the book and rejected the rest (2:85). Many of them did not know what was in the book but held false conjectures (2:78) and others “perverted its meaning after they understood it” (2:75). The same is the fate of the Muslims about whom the Holy Prophet made a prediction by saying:
“My Ummah will undergo and experience all those conditions which were suffered by the Children of Israel in a manner of resemblance in which a shoe of a pair resembles the other.” (Tirmizi)
Due to the neglect of the Quran, the Muslims have split themselves into sects and mazhabs, justifying themselves on the basis of a false hadith which says: “Difference of opinion among my Ummah is a mercy from Allah”. But Allah has described the Muslims as “one Ummah” (21:92; 23:52) and warned them saying: “Do not dispute with each other lest you should falter and your strength departs from you” (8:46). He describes “those who split their religion into sects” as “polytheists” (30:31–32), that “each hizb [party] rejoices in what they have” (23:53; 30:32) and We got “nothing to do with them” (6:159), because “for them there will be a terrible punishment” (3:105).
The pressure of taqleed (blind imitation) is so forceful among the people that they feel obliged to be loyal to their sects as though there was a Divine obligation to do so. Very often preference is given to their personal and sectarian inclinations over and above the Quran:
“And when it is said to them, ‘Follow that which has been revealed by Allah,’ they say: ‘We follow the tradition of our forefathers,’ even though their forefathers were devoid of understanding and guidance.” (2:170)
The poet Iqbal describes such people as follows:
“They cannot see open, unconcealed realities, whose eyes have become blind through subjugation and taqleed”
Taking Religious Leaders as “Lords”:
The mullahs [clerics], whom many Muslims have taken as “lords besides Allah” (9:31), present unjustifiable excuses not to study the Quran in case they “get misled”. They assert that the Quran is very difficult to understand and that you need to be a mujtahid to approach the Book. But Allah says: “Surely this Quran guides people to that which is most right” (17:9), and that: “He does not misguide anyone with it except the transgressors” (2:26). The Quran is not the personal property of any mujtahid or sect but “a guide for the God-conscious people” (2:2). That is why it addresses every human being to think, ponder and reflect on its verses, as Allah says:
“Do they not reflect on the Quran or arc there locks on their hearts?” (47:24).
Many Muslims have taken various sources other than the Quran as their “authority” in religion. Some have given the fatwa that “to study fiqh (jurisprudence) is better than to study the Quran” (Fatawa Alamgiri, vol. 9, p. 129). Others like the Hanafi Shaikh Abul Hasan al-Karkhi have said that if the Quran and Sunna were on one side and the opinion of the Imam (Abu Hanifa and others) on the other, then one must follow the Imam “as he understood the Quran and Sunna better than you”. Many others have taken their pirs [hereditary religious leaders] and shaikhs as “lords besides Allah” and have given bai’ah (oath of allegiance) to them, and yet some others have resorted to doubtful hadith even though it contradicts the Quran, on the basis that “the Prophet understood the Quran better”, not realising that the Holy Prophet said:
“My sayings do not abrogate the word of Allah, but the word of Allah can abrogate mine.” (Mishkat)
Hence the true Sunna “cannot abrogate (nor contradict) the Quran” (Ibn Taimiyya: Majmuat Rasail al-Kubra, vol. 1, p. 216). On the basis of the above sources many “scholars” have legalised things prohibited by Allah such as usury, drinking, adultery and consuming haram meat even though the Prophet said:
“Anyone who regards as lawful what Allah made unlawful does not in fact believe in the Quran” (Tirmizi).
Necessity of placing Quran above all else:
The only thing that can unite the Muslims and alleviate their problems is the Quran, as Allah says: “Hold fast unto the rope of Allah and do not be divided” (3:103). The Holy Prophet explained that “the Book of Allah is the rope of Allah which has been extended from the heavens to the earth” (Tafsfr al-Tabari, vol. 4, p. 30; Tafsir Ibn Kathi’r, vol. 1 p. 367). In one hadith, the Holy Prophet said that “fitna will arise” and that the only way to obtain protection from it is
“by acting on the Quran wherein there are commands for haram and halal, sin and virtue, and categorical commands regarding truth and falsehood. Whoever had left the Quran, Allah will destroy him and whoever has invited people to the Quran, he it is to whom the straight path has been shown” (Tirmizi, Darimi).
In another hadith, the Holy Prophet predicted that like their predecessors, the Muslim Ummah will be divided into seventy-three sects, all of which will lead to hell except one. On enquiry, the Holy Prophet said: “It is the path on which I and my Companions are” (Tirmizi), which is nothing but the way of the Quran. The sahabi (companion) Huzaifa asked the Holy Prophet, “If I am there in those days what should I do?” and the Prophet replied:
“Learn the Book of Allah and act upon it as there is salvation in it.” (Al-Ghazali, Ihya, vol. I, p. 280)
Allah addressed the Prophet saying:
“Surely this [Quran] is a reminder for you and your nation and soon you will all be asked about it” (43:44).
But unfortunately the Ummah has preferred other books besides the Quran. The Holy Prophet will complain to Allah on the day of Judgment, saying:
“O my Lord! my nation have abandoned the Quran.” (25:30)
So in this age of great trials for the Ummah, all Muslims ought to remove the shackles of taqleed from their necks and become free by clinging to the Quran. We must fulfil the obligation we owe to the Quran: to truly believe in it, recite it, understand it, reflect upon it, implement it in every sphere of life and propagate its message to others.
You should build a personal relationship with the Book so that it becomes your constant companion in life. Read it regularly with an open mind to derive guidance from it. Whatever you learn, act upon it and be prepared to sacrifice your inclinations in favour of the “verdict” of the Quran. If there is any doubt or disagreement on anything, then
“refer it to Allah and His Messenger if you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day” (4:59).
The Holy Prophet said:
“The best among you is the one who learns the Quran and teaches it” (Bukhari).
So we should all try our best to gradually learn the Quran and mould our lives in the spirit of the Quran.